Grace
by ShrinkingViolet713
Summary: Set in 1998, a new girl comes to Salem and will forever change the lives of its most prominent families. Rated R for language, violence, and sexual situations. Please R/R!
1. Default Chapter

Grace Thompson walked into the Titan Publishing building at 14 Salem Circle and began to tremble. She clutched the newspaper in her hands and walked up to the receptionist.

"Hello. My name in Grace Thompson and I'm responding to the ad in today's 'Salem Chronicle' for a secretary."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I don't. I didn't know that one was required."

"One usually is, but I'll see if Ms. Roberts is free. If you'll take a seat I'll find out if she can see you."

Grace sat down in the chair the receptionist had indicated and began to pray that Ms. Roberts would see her, and give her the job. She smoothed the skirt of the old, worn suit she had gotten from the Salvation Army. Grace knew she didn't look her best, but she reasoned that anyone who had walked to Salem from Georgia would look almost as bad as she did. It had taken two months to make her journey, but that was mostly because she had taken rural country roads. Her father would have never looked for her there. The only problem would be if Jeremy Thompson called the police on her, and that was a possibility. Grace was only sixteen, and still technically a minor, but her experiences had made her older. 

"Ms. Roberts will see you now Ms. Thompson." The receptionist jerked her from her thoughts and gestured towards the elevator, "Titan offices are on the sixth floor."

"Thank you." The elevator door slid closed and Grace sighed. This interview had to go well. She had no other options, and Salem seemed like a nice, normal town where she could be happy and inconspicuous for years. As the doors opened to the lavish offices of Titan Publishing, Grace felt her breath catch. It was the most beautiful building that she had ever seen. Another receptionist raised an inquiring eyebrow at her and Grace smiled.

"I'm here to see Ms. Roberts. I believe she's expecting me."

"Third door on your left. Knock before you enter."

Grace knocked cautiously and a commanding voice answered "Come in."

Kate Roberts sat at her desk and carefully looked over the nervous girl who stood in front of her. If you turned the clock back, Kate thought, that could be me. The two women looked slightly similar. Grace's milk-chocolate brown hair fell to her shoulders, while Kate's hair had a hint of red in it, but both had large brown eyes that resembled a sad puppy's. But there was nothing sad or vulnerable in Kate's eyes and there hadn't been for many years. 

Kate Roberts had gotten her start in business several years ago, after meeting Stefano DiMera. She had been a call girl, who worked to support her son, Lucas and Stefano had liked the way she thought. Since that fateful meeting, Kate had worked hard to establish herself as a good businesswoman, and she had. Titan Publishing was one of biggest businesses in Salem. What she saw in Grace was the same scared, lonely girl who needed someone to give her a break that Stefano had seen in Kate Roberts more that twenty years before.

"So, Grace, what brings you to Salem?"

"I was traveling around a lot and I saw the ad."

"Do you have any secretarial skills?"

"I can type sixty words a minute, and I know how to work computers fairly well."

"Do you know shorthand?"

"No, but I can write very quickly."

"Well, you're a little rough around the edges. How old are you?"

Grace thought, if she told the truth, not only would Kate not hire her, but she might call DCFS, "I'm nineteen years old."

"You haven't gone to college, I assume."

"No, I took care of my family for a year." Actually for four years. She hadn't gone to college, her father made her quit school after seventh grade.

"I'm going to give you a break. You're hired. You can start work tomorrow. You'll be my son Austin's secretary. His office is at the end of the hall. I'm going to give you two hundred dollars advance on your first pay check. Go buy yourself a new suit or two."

"Oh, thank you Ms. Roberts, thank you. I won't let you down."

" See that you don't. I don't usually do things like this for people. I expect you to be here at 8:30 tomorrow morning. That's all." Kate waved impatiently at the door, and Grace hurried out, grasping the money in her hand and grinning.


	2. Grace Chapter 2

Grace looked at the piece of paper in her hand, then at the address of the house in front of her, and both read 545 Sycamore St. There was a sign that read "Horton Center" in the front yard. The woman at Barron's Department Store had told Grace that she could stay there for the night. She knocked tentatively at the door. After several minutes there was no answer, so Grace turned to leave. Just as she did the door opened and a voice called after her, "May I help you?"

Grace turned and saw that the voice belonged to a friendly looking woman with thick red hair. "Um, I think so. Is this Horton Center?"

"That's what the sign on the lawn says." The lady answered good-naturedly, "I'm Maggie Horton. Are you looking for a room?"

"I, yeah. I am. How much is the rent?"

"How much do you have?"

"I'm afraid I don't have anything."

"Well, this is your lucky day. That's exactly how much rent is!"

"Really?"

"This is a shelter. Come in. Let me take your coat. What's your name? How long will you be needing a room?"

"I'm Grace. I only need to stay here for one night."

"Okay. There's a free room down the hall and to your right. What do you need?"

"What do you mean?

"Towels? A shower?"

"Yes, and yes. I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience."

"Oh, you're not at all. In fact you're the only person we have staying here right now. I'll get you some towels and tell Alice you're here."

"Excuse me, but who is Alice?"

"You're new in this town aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, anyone who's been here for awhile knows Alice Horton. When did you get here?"

Grace sat down in a large chair and Maggie nearly laughed. The girl's feet didn't even touch the floor. "I've been in town for," Grace looked at the clock on the mantel, "Six hours."

"You are new then." Maggie sat down on the couch and looked Grace over carefully. She looked like a nice girl. She was tiny, only about 5'3" and maybe 90 pounds, and looked a little like Hope had years ago. "What brings you to Salem, Grace?"

"I found a job here. I'm a secretary at Titan Publishing."

"So you've met Kate."

"Ms Roberts? Yes, she was very nice."

"Lucas, Kate's son is staying here. He's Alice's grandson."

"I thought that Ms. Roberts's son was Austin. That's what she told me."

"Lucas is her other son. She also has a daughter, Billie. Oh, here comes Alice now. Look, Alice. This is Grace. . . I didn't catch your last name."

"Thompson."

"Grace Thompson. She needed a room so I gave her the one down the hall."

"Hello, Mrs. Horton."

"Hello, Grace." Alice Horton decided that she liked the way Grace looked. Sweet and innocent, but she also looked like she could take care of herself.

"I want to thank you, Mrs. Horton, for letting me stay here."

"Don't worry about it. My door is always open."

"If you ladies will excuse me," Maggie interrupted, "I should get home to Mickey. I'll see you tomorrow."

Maggie left and Alice turned to Grace, "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"That's okay. I'm not hungry."

"Don't be ridiculous. You have to eat. Lucas, Shawn-D, and I haven't eaten yet. Would you like to join us?"

"Thank you. I would love to. Who is Shawn-D?"

"He's my great-grandson. My granddaughter, Hope, is his mother. She's in Lugano visiting a friend."

Grace went to her room and unpacked. When she sat down to dinner, she looked like a new person. She had taken a hot shower and was wearing the only other outfit she had brought with her, a pair of jeans and a red button down sleeveless shirt. She looked like a model for a ranch. They had a wonderful dinner and after the meal Grace sat in the living room looking at Alice's books when Lucas entered the room. Grace could tell instantly that he was drunk.

"So, you're working for my mom now." He approached her and put a hand on her arm.

"Yes, I am." Grace tried to wrench her arm free, but Lucas tightened his grip.

"That means you work for me and you had better do exactly what I tell you."

"Mr. Roberts, I work for your mother, not you. Please let go of my arm. You're hurting me."

"NO! Listen you little slut, I am Lucas Roberts and you will do exactly what I tell you, or I'll have your ass fired. Go wait in your room. I'll be right in."

"Mr. Roberts, this is not part of my job. I will not have sex with you."

"Yes you will!" suddenly, Lucas reached out and struck her hard across the face. Grace reeled in shock, but living with her father had taught her a few things. If you let drunks burn off their energy, sometimes they calmed down. But she would be damned if she made love to this man. Lucas hauled her to her feet and propelled her towards the room. "Go get ready. I'll be right in."

Grace sat in her room and thought desperately of how to get out of this. This was the first time in four months that she was sorry she had run away. When Lucas knocked on her door, Grace didn't make a sound. Maybe he would think she had crawled out of the window, but he didn't. She heard a key turning in the door and felt her blood turn to ice. When he entered, Lucas shook his head. 

"So, you thought you could outsmart me, is that it? You thought I was a fool, well you're wrong. Take off your clothes." 

Grace obeyed, slowly. When she stood naked in front of him, Lucas pointed to the bed. She laid down and Lucas lay next to her. 

"Please, don't do this. You don't want to. It's the alcohol talking."

"SHUT UP!" Lucas rolled on top of her as Grace continued to beg for him to stop. He crushed his mouth to hers and clawed at her flesh. Then with one painful thrush, he took her virginity, all the time mumbling, "Stupid bitch. She stole my son and ruined my image. I'll kill her."

When he was done, Lucas stood up and left the room as Grace cried. She stood up, and locked her door, not that it would do much good. Then she walked into the bathroom and locked that door as well as took a two hour shower, trying to wash away the smell and feel of his body on hers. When she felt clean, not better, but clean Grace slipped quietly out of the bathroom and laid down in the same bed where Lucas had raped her, but found she couldn't sleep. She was too scared.

The next morning, Grace left early. She hadn't slept all night, out of fear that Lucas might come back. She left a note to Alice, thanking her for letting her stay at Horton Center. Once at the office, Grace straightened the blue skirt of her new suit, and entered the building with a smile. Today was the beginning of a whole new life for Grace Thompson, and it couldn't have come soon enough.


End file.
